The journal
Landscape and Urban Planning published a study which found fewer violent crimes (assaults, robberies and burglaries) were committed less often in greener areas of Philadelphia
(Wolfe & Mennis 2012). The correlation remained after parameters for education, poverty and population density were adjusted. A hypothesis to explain the correlation is that greenery alleviates human psychological stress making violent crime less likely. Research shows that humans experience significant psychological benefits from spending time in natural areas*. Of course with more people outside, there are more eyes watching what is going on in the neighborhood. One way you can contribute to the health of your neighborhood is to provide needed elements for wildlife survival on your patch of ground. Food, water, cover and places to rear offspring are easy to incorporate into your landscape plans. The
National Wildlife Federation has a certification program for wildlife friendly yards as well as attractive, sturdy plaques showing your home is providing needed urban habitat for species other than yourself and family.
*Scientists at the US Forest Service have observed a link between human health and trees. The study looked at 1,296 counties in 15 states over 18 years to discover that communities which lost trees to the emerald ash borer suffered an additional 15,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease and 6,000 deaths from respiratory disease. Spending as little as 20 minutes in nature mitigages ADHD symptoms in children.
